Monday, January 16, 2012

Bhojpuri celebs sizzle in T20s

Celebrities from the Bhojpuri film industry would fight the biggest war on the cricket pitch in the state capital early next month. The actors from the industry, who have tried their hands at T20 cricket in the ongoing Bhojpuri Cricket League, would play the final at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium. They had played the league matches in Mumbai. The actors had decided to have their own tournament after being left out by the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), which does not feature a single Bhojpuri celebrity. CCL has six teams — Mumbai Heros, Chennai Rhinos, Karnataka Bulldozers, Telgu Warriors, Kerala Strikers and Bengal Tigers. The Bhojpuri Cricket League has two teams. While Manoj Tiwari is the skipper of Bhojpuri Tiger, Dinesh Lal is leading the Bhojpuri Jawan. Two popular actresses from the Bhojpuri industry are set to add to the glam factor as the teams meet in the summit clash. “Pakhi Hegde and Krishna Khandelwal are a part of my team, while Rinku Ghosh and Anzana Singh are a part of Dinesh Lal’s team. All of them are popular Bhojpuri actresses and have acted in several films. They have added to the charm of the teams,” Tiwari said. “The idea (behind the tournament) is to unite the actors and actresses of the Bhojpuri industry. Cricket is the best method to execute the idea because cinema and cricket bind the people of the country. It would be a perfect platform for the people in our industry to interact with each other,” Manoj said. The two teams have played four matches in which Manoj’s team won two and Dinesh’s team pulled one back. One match ended in a thrilling tie. “All the matches were played at Venus Stadium, Goregoan, in Mumbai. The final will be played at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium. The date of the final match has not yet been finalised. But it would be played in the first week of next month,” Manoj said, adding that there was a possibility of Bhojpuri actors getting a chance to play in CCL from next year. “We have contacted some of the franchise owners. I also had a talk with Sohail Khan, who is the franchise owner of Mumbai Heros. He has assured us that from next year, a Bhojpuri team will also join the CCL,” the actor said. On the other hand, Bhojpuri and Bollywood actor Ravi Kissen was not a part of the two teams. Sources in the film industry said a “cold war” has been going on between the two for the past few years. Manoj, however, said even though Ravi was not a part of the teams, “he is one of us”. When The Telegraph contacted Ravi, he denied that he was a part of any team. “I have not even been informed about the Bhojpuri Celebrity League. I have been shooting outside Mumbai and also outside India for two months. They must be playing, but I am not aware of it,” he said.Anzana Singh and Rinku Ghosh were happy to be a part of the cricket league. “This is the first time after my school and college days that I am playing cricket. I am not a good player, but I am very happy to be one of them. I have been encouraging them to play better all the time. Moreover, we have done a lot of masti on and off the field,” Anzana said, adding that she was eagerly waiting for the final. “People have a mentality that girls cannot play the game better than boys but let me tell you that the game is played by both male and females on the national and international levels. It would be more fun once the Bhojpuri team members participate in the CCL,” Rinku said.

The captain of Bhojpuri Jawan, Dinesh Lal, said his team was all geared up for the final battle.